Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus · Wrens
Banding codeROWR
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 6 in long.
2Color pattern
- Grayish-brown with fine pale speckles
- Buffy tips on the tail
- Bobs on rocks
3Habitat & season
Rocky slopes, canyons, talus
In northern Utah: summer.
Seen most often in June, July, August, September and October.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
Varied, repeated phrases and ringing trills.
“tee-er, tee-er, tee-er”
iNat 81662885 by Eric Johnson · Vasquez Rocks Natural Area, Agua Dulce, CA, USA · CC BY
Know it
- Lays a 'paved' path of small flat stones leading to its nest crevice.
- A single male may sing more than 100 different song types.
- Bobs up and down on boulders.
- A summer bird of Utah's canyons and rocky slopes.
Often confused with
Sage Thrasher
American Robin
Marsh Wren- Bewick's Wren
- Cactus Wren
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
The rock wren is a small songbird of the wren family native to the rocky areas of western North America. There are 8 subspecies of the rock wren, one of which is extinct. They are similar in size to other wrens, with a grey-brown coat, a brown rump, and a speckled white throat.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0